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What is an Au Pair?
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An Au Pair is typically a young person from abroad employed by a family to care for their children and help with light housework in return for a monetary allowance, room, meals and an opportunity to further study the language.
The word “Au Pair” comes from the French word which means “on par” or “equal to”. Living with a family for one year, it is not surprising an Au Pair often becomes an integral and much loved member of their Host Family. It is not uncommon for Au Pairs and families alike to stay in touch for years afterward!
Our Au Pairs are between the ages of 18-30 and mostly female. They are competent in conversational English and have at least 100-150 hours of documented childcare experience. All of our Au Pairs go through a rigorous screening process – including police and medical record checks, references, a personal interview, English and personality tests.
Our Au Pairs can be split into two categories:
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Au Pair 123 – specialised in early childhood from 0-5 years of age
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Au Pair Mate – caring for school age children i.e. over 5 years of age
An Au Pair is effectively like having an extra pair of hands in the home. Not only does an Au Pair provide in-home, dedicated childcare they also give families the convenience of help around the home. Other such Au Pair responsibilities can include:
- Preparing meals for your children
- Light housework around the home
- Helping your child/children take care of their belongings and tidy their room
- Taking your child to playgroups, school and other activities such as sport
- Washing and organising your child’s clothes throughout the working week.
Being an Au Pair or becoming a Host Family is a fantastic way to promote understanding of other cultures. Learning about other cultures (language, food, and customs) is educational and fun! In an increasingly global society – what better gift can you give to a child?